The present invention is a new and distinct interspecific hybrid of Hippeastrum Herb., commonly known as amaryllis, a member of the family Amaryllidaceae, and is henceforth referred to by the cultivar name ‘Boca’.
‘Boca’ originated as a cross made by the inventor in 2001 as part of a breeding program in Miami, Fla., USA. The objectives of the breeding program are to develop new amaryllis varieties with novel floral form and coloration and heat tolerance. The female parent is an F1 interspecific hybrid (H. ambiguum×H. papilio clone 4-16, unpatented). The pollen parent is an unpatented selection from the complex cross (H. ambiguum×H. papilio)×(H. lapacense×H. papilio) with the breeder's code 35-2.
The new cultivar was selected on the basis of its “butterfly” floral shape and unique color pattern. Over the course of seven years of evaluation, ‘Boca’ has shown excellent heat resistance, grown under ambient conditions in Miami, Fla. under 50% shade, and resistance to Red Scorch fungus (Staganospora curtisii).
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by twin-scale cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Miami, Fla. has shown that the unique features of this new amaryllis are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.